This is a great LP. And to the lazy detractors who claim that Hot Club de Paris (HCdP) are just another Futureheads; shout a loud “F**k Off”. Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest. Sure, some of the reference points might be familiar, but HCdP are no carbon copy - more the fusing together of similar eclectic influences. And the regional accents aside, HCdP have quite a USA feel; the descendents of the likes of Black Flag and Big Black/Shellac perhaps.

HCdP are a solid guitar/bass/drums three piece, but any standard pop formula ends there. Prepare for odd time signatures, strange pauses, and a distinct lack of verse, chorus, verse construction. But harmonies abound. And HCdP kick off the album with ‘Shipwreck’ a fierce and frantic sea shanty about indie haunt Le Bateau in Liverpool. A strangely disconcerting introduction to the world of HCdP for the uninitiated.

We’re on more familiar territory with ‘Clockwork Toy’ a song of more standard construction, built around a super-fast and relentless guitar riff. “Elephant would move his trunk, if only you would wind him up”. Given that most of the tracks on this LP are about f**king, I think the clockwork circus might be a pretty thinly disguised metaphor.

‘3.55am: I Think We Should Go Home’ really starts to show HCdP’s humour. “What’s the point in starting, to stop everything we started”. The track build slowly and there is a real Steve Albini feel to the drum sound.

‘Names and Names and Names’ is another song about f**king. Again with strange construction. HCdP pack more ideas into one (short 2 minute) song than most bands develop over a career. And here we get about five different choruses. And a great stop/exasperated sigh/start.

The enormous debut single ‘Sometimesitsbetternottostickbitsofeachotherineachotherforeachother’ follows and its every bit as jump around brilliant as it ever was. This is much more the finished product than most stop/start shouty indie pop around at the moment. And they do an a capella track too. (Um, didn’t the Futureheads do that?) ‘Bonded By Blood’ is a great humanbeatbox backed song about fulfilling your parents dreams vs. more immediate narcotic priorities.

Second single ‘Everyeveryeverything’ closes proceedings, and you’ll have heard that already from the blanket coverage HCdP are currently receiving. It’s a good ending. “We might fail to ruin everything” laying down a bittersweet gauntlet for album number two.

In fact, for me the only low point of the LP was in failing to find the secret/hidden track. Rewind from track one to find it. Hmm. I’m sure its great. I’d really like to think that its not on the promo CD deliberately to annoy and frustrate sad music journalists. See - genius from start to finish.

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